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Sunday, January 27, 2013

FRA Publishes PTC NPRM Extension Notice

The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) published a notice
(78FR 5767-5770)
in Monday’s Federal Register (available on line yesterday) that extended the
deadline for comments on their notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) published
in December 2012 that makes changes to the current positive train control
(PTC) system requirements. The new deadline for comments is now March 11, 2013.

The notice specifically clarifies some railroad operational
questions that it wishes additional comments upon, but any comments on the NPRM
will be accepted during the comment extension.

The NPRM would allow railroads to request that certain miles
of track be removed from the requirement for the installation or maintenance of
a PTC system under relatively low usage rates for carrying toxic inhalation hazard
(TIH) chemicals. This could lower railroad costs for handling TIH chemical on
those track segments.

About Me

I spent 15 years in the US Army as an Infantry NCO. After getting out of the Army I started working in the chemical industry, getting my BSc Chemistry degree while working as a technician. I spent 12 years working as a process chemist in a specialty chemical company. I'm now working as a QA Manager in a specialty chemical manufacturing facility.